family responsibilities

This is a story about President-elect Joe Biden, and a letter that he wrote to his staff that just became public....

The letter is from 2014, when the president-elect was serving in his second term as vice president. It runs only 126 words, after the simple greeting, "To My Wonderful Staff:"

From there, it goes like this:

I would like to take a moment and make something clear to everyone. I do not expect nor do I want any of you to miss or sacrifice important family obligations for work. 

Family obligations include but are not limited to family birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, any religious ceremonies such as first communions and bar mitzvahs, graduations, and time of need such as an illness or a loss in the family. 

This is very important to me. In fact, I will go so far as to say that if I find out that you are working with me while missing important family responsibilities, it will disappoint me greatly. This has been an unwritten rule since my days in the Senate. 

Thank you for all the hard work.

...[This letter] lets everyone know the boss's priorities....

Second, it's incredibly empathetic.

This is the core of the message -- Biden telling his team that he expects them to set priorities, and that work is not always the top priority. 

Bill Murphy, Jr.

"Joe Biden Wrote an Incredibly Inspiring Letter to His Staff. Every Smart Leader Should Copy It" Inc. November 21, 2020